Tone modifier for wind instruments



Patented S ept. 11,1923.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ROMEO DALFONSO, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSALTELESCOPE MUTE COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

TONE MODIFIER FOR WIND INSTRIIMENTS.

Application filed August 1, 1921. Serial No. 489,144.

T all whom e't may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. DAL- FONSO, acitizen of the United States, residing at 6018 Colby St, Oakland,Alameda County, State of California, have invented a new and useful ToneModifier for Wind Instruments Commonly Classified as of the BrassFamily, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mutes for cornets or any ofthe brass musical instrument family, and consists of the provision of adevice of such character as can i be easily and quickly adjusted throughnovel means so as to effect the raising and the lowering of the tone.

.The main object of this preesnt invention is to provide means wherebythe tone or pitch of a note played on anycornet or brass instrument,with the mute in place, can be modified and brought into perfect accordor pitch with the same note or tone played or produced on said cornet ormember of the brass instrument family includ- 2 ing cornet, trumpet,alto, Fliigel horn, trom bone, baritone, tuba, French-horn, balladhorn,etc, when used open or without mute; which result can be obtained by theuse of my improved mute.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved mute set in place, within the mouth of a comet (shown in.section) with its head at the highest limit. Figure 2 is a view at rightangles to Fig. 1 showing the mute in vertical section and at its lowestlimit.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the mute generally which consistsof a frustoconical tube 2 provided with the usual cork spacers 17 tohold it firmly inside the bell of cornet A. Its upper end 3 iscylindrical and threaded as at 1 to receive the threaded end of acylindrical tube 5 which near its lower end is slotted as at 6 in orderto leave room, for a pinion to be described presently;

in front of said slot, sufliciently wide to cover it up and secured tothe tube 5 by screws 8, is a bearing 7 through which passes a shaft 9carrying at one end a milled disk 10 conveniently placed between thecenter and the edge of the bell of cornet A so that it may be rotated atwill by the player.

On said shaft 9 and within a chamber 11 provided in the bearing 7 issecured a small pinion 12, meshing with a rack 18 fastened by screws 14to a tube 15 telescoping within the stationary tube 5.

This tube 15 at its upper and supports an enlarged bell or head 16 itbeing welded or riveted to it, or if desired, made integral with it.

The tube 15 is made of such length as to come near the inner wall oftube 2, without touching it when brought to its lowest point; it is alsoprovided with a longitudinal slot 18 of about the same dimensions asthose of rack 13 thus allowing the teeth of said rack to protrudethrough it and come into mesh withpinion 12.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows :By turning the disk 10 inone di rection, tube 15 and head 16 will be raised, while by turning itin the opposite direction tube and head will be lowered; the amount ofthe turning depending upon the degree of pitch or difference in tonalitydetected by the ear of the player.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is,

1. A mute comprising hollow telescopic sections one of which is open atboth ends and the other of which is open at one end and closed at theother and means for moving, one of said sections relative to the otherto increase or decrease the volume within the sections, which meanscomprises a shaft mounted for rotation on one of said sections, a pinionon said shaft, a rack bar on the other section with which the pinionengages and a handle portion on said shaft.

2. A mute comprising a hollow frustoconical member adapted to fit intothe mouth of a horn, a tubular portion carried by the outer end of saidmember, said tubular portion being enlarged and externally screwthreaded, said frusto-conical member having internal screw threads forcooperation with the screw threads on the tubular portion, anothertubular portion telescoping the 10 first named tubularportion and meansfor sliding said last named portion inwardly or outwardly, said slidingtubular portion adapted to extend into and out of said frusto-conicalmember.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

WILLIAM ROMEO DALFONSO. lVitnesses:

JOHN R. TYRRELL FRANK Rossr.

